City of Kelowna’s New Police Services Building

Our Client’s Opportunity:

The current RCMP detachment, located at 350 Doyle Avenue, was originally built in the 1960’s. As the population in Kelowna has grown; so has the need for an increase in RCMP and policing members. Currently there are approximately 380 RCMP members and support staff that are working in various locations throughout the city.

The main RCMP detachment on Doyle Avenue is over 50 years old and has surpassed it productive life. The square footage of the building can no longer accommodate the current RCMP workforce, causing people to have to share workspaces. The lack of office space has created significant inefficiencies in people’s abilities to provide the necessary services that ensure the safety of the people of Kelowna.

Due to the existing working conditions and the current state of the building, it was decided that a new RCMP detachment was warranted. City Council obtained the approval to borrow $42m to build a new RCMP detachment that would allow the various locations and services to be consolidated under one roof. The new building was designed to accommodate all of the existing RCMP members and supporting staff, while also providing space for future growth. The new detachment has been situated in a central location in the Kelowna North end. The new location is expected to have a significant impact on the efficiencies and effectiveness of the services and safety the RCMP provide.

Our Approach:

CTQ was awarded the project to complete the frontage, road design and civil works along Clement Avenue and Richter Street. The design of the frontage included a new sidewalk and curbs along Clement and Richter Street.

The road design was a significant portion of the overall scope of work that CTQ was commissioned to complete. The design included a realignment to provide room for Clement Avenue to be widened on both the North and South side from one to two lanes. At this time, only the North side of the road has been widened, with the expectation that the South side will be widened in the future.

Relocation of the signal lights at the intersection of Richter Street and Clement Avenue was required as a result of the road realignment and the additional lanes. Moreover, the intersection modifications required additional signal lights. All signals have been upgraded to current standards.

The remaining scope of work consisted of a new lot layout design for the service connections including sanitary, storm and water. Some minor grading alterations were included in the design.

Outcome:

The work that was included in CTQ’s scope or work, although relatively minimal in comparison to the overall budget, was a vital component of the project in its entirety. The design of the frontage, civil works and road alignment have all been successfully built and installed. The road realignment, intersection modifications and signal relocation and upgrades have already shown indications of improvements of traffic flow.

The project is coming to a close with the expectation that the keys will be passed over in March 2017. Full occupancy is expected in the spring of 2017.